Governor: Country Boy

?Governor is a special contemporary soul singer in the tradition of the great black Atlantic artists of the past. His music will be with us for a long time to come,? Ahmet Ertegun, Founder, Atlantic Records. When you have one of the music industries top executives behind you, you have to possess something special. Governor, the streetwise southern crooner, who constantly refers to himself as ?Country Boy? is undoubtedly in a lane of his own. Mirroring his personality, Governor’s music manages the feat of being conscious without the pretentious airs that are usually associated with it. What this translates into is that he has successfully managed to reinvent the wheel, instead of what we have become accustomed to being fed. Things were not always on the up and up for Governor, before signing with T.I.?s Grand Hustle Records, he suffered two failed ventures with top music producer Dr. Dre and The Trackmasters. Singersroom got a chance to catch up with the blessed son of Virginia to discuss his new release.

Singersroom: In all the previous interviews I?ve read, the focus has been on the negative things you have experienced in your career. I?m going to stay as far away from the questions that I have seen answered before, I?m going to keep this interview positive.

Governor: You know what, that is so refreshing. I appreciate that.

Singersroom: Let?s talk about your album that is set to be released on August 1, 2006.

Governor: It?s tentatively set for the 1^st, anything could happen. I?m just out here trying to meet people and let them hear my music. I want to do these shows and keep it moving you know? I wanna conquer cities, streets, I?m everywhere?Oh and I?m doing this mix tape. It?s a street mix tape, so the only place to get it will be the streets!

Singersroom: So, you?ve been classified as a neo-soul artist. What is neo-soul to you?

Governor: What the hell is neo-soul? I make soul-folk music. My music is the way I tell a story, it?s artistic. Artist only have 3 minutes to tell there story, so we have to say a lot in a minimal amount of time. I?m always thinking, ?how am I going to tell this story so the listeners will understand?? ?How can I make the concept relate to the rhythm of the beat and the music I?m speaking on?? Some artists want to talk about all that flashy s***, but what?s the purpose? Why do I care if you have a stack of cash and some rims?

Singersroom: That?s what?s up. So what do you think about the industry right now?

Governor: There?s a whole lot of acts out there. I do everything for the art of music. You have to be responsible for what you make. Make the beat, write the lyrics, and produce the entire song, now that?s music. The business of the industry has transformed. How do you get true talent, where artist are actually saying something? Everyone claims they?re saying something, but what are they saying?

Singersroom: So, what do want to do in the future?

Governor: I?m into this real estate thing. I wanna buy up more land cause God ain?t makin no more! I?m also working on this youth facility. You know people are so worried about inner city youth that need activities and stuff. Hell, at least they got buses to get where they need to go. Where I?m from it?s country. We got one stop sign, one school, one store and no public transportation. I want to create a facility for kids to play ball, go to the library, swim. I want to make a chain of these kinds of facilities for the kids who don?t have what even the city kids have. In the country there?s a different kind of poverty. You can?t walk anywhere; it?s a twenty minute drive to the nearest neighbor where I?m from.

Singersroom: That?s great. I?m sure the kids will appreciate it. There?s a whole different lifestyle your shedding light upon!

Governor: Yeah you know, no one really considers the country like that. I ain?t tryna? figure out life, because once you figure it out, it?s over. I want God to keep it crazy for me, keep me going. This is me, this is what life is. My music is about where me, you, and the listeners are in life. It?s not about right and wrong. It?s not perfect. I?m a grown ass man living for today. Five years from now when I?m gone ya?ll got to remember my music. I want the pressure.